republicans saying no and accusing the president of not being specific about spending cuts and entitlement reforms, reform medicare, medicaid and social security. >> so let me ask you a question about this report that we're hearing that the obama administration might be looking at a republican to succeed the defense secretary, leon panetta. who is on that list at this point? >> reporter: yeah, that's right. this is former nebraska senator chuck hagel, a republican. so this is pretty interesting. we know, according to sources knowledgeable of the situation, that president obama and vice president joe biden have met with hagel and he's, of course, is someone who's familiar to the president. yes, he's a republican but some republican mace take issue with this nomination because in 2008 he actually sort of switched sides, if you will, a little bit and endorsed president obama. he also traveled with him to iraq and afghanistan. so they have that relationship as well as the vice president's relationship with hagel in the senate. it's sort of fascinating, though, because bob gates, as you know, w